How is Communion administered in Eastern Catholic Churches?

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I know that Byzantine Catholic Communion is administered by intinction (leavened bread which is in the chalice with the Precious Blood and given by the priest with a spoon). I was told that the Maronite Church uses unleavened bread (hosts, like Latin Church) which are given by intinction by the priest and received on the tongue like in the Latin Church. I know there are many other Eastern Catholic Churches. How do the other Eastern Catholic Churches administer Communion? I know that there are different Eastern Catholic Churches in my neighbourhood. I would like to go to Divine Liturgy at these and would like to know how Communion is given so I will know what to do.
 
Laura, you know if you wanna travel east, you can visit me and our parish!😉

I can tellyou that in the Byzantine tradition, when you receive the body, blood, soul and divinity or our Lord, you open your mouth wide and tilt your head back. The priest will take both species from the spoon and place them on your tongue. However, you do not say ;Amen: because that is said by the people during the Eucharistic part of the Divine Liturgy. Then you are permitted to make the sign of the cross after receiving. Also, when you receive, do not close your mouth while the spoon is still in your mouth.
 
Edwin1961 said:
Laura, you know if you wanna travel east, you can visit me and our parish!😉

I can tellyou that in the Byzantine tradition, when you receive the body, blood, soul and divinity or our Lord, you open your mouth wide and tilt your head back. The priest will take both species from the spoon and place them on your tongue. However, you do not say ;Amen: because that is said by the people during the Eucharistic part of the Divine Liturgy. Then you are permitted to make the sign of the cross after receiving. Also, when you receive, do not close your mouth while the spoon is still in your mouth.
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That’s what I remember from Byzantine Divine Liturgy when I was in college. We always had Mass on Fridays. One time, we had Divine Liturgy in the chapel. A friend of mine in college told me how to receive Communion. I know what to do in Byzantine and Maronite Churches, but I am unsure about other Eastern Catholic Churches, for instance, Melkite.
 
Melkites use leavened bread which is intincted by hand and placed in your mouth.

When receiving on a spoon, it is a cultural thing which varies by parish and jurisdiction whether or not most people close their mouths on the spoon. Most Ruthenians do not.
 
Woodstock said:
When receiving on a spoon, it is a cultural thing which varies by parish and jurisdiction whether or not most people close their mouths on the spoon. Most Ruthenians do not.
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When I was at the Divine Liturgy in college, I did not close my mouth. The priest did not put the spoon in my mouth. He held the spoon over my mouth and dropped in the Eucharist.
 
My parish’s tradition (note the lower case) is to tilt the head way back, mouth open, toes near or touching the amvon, and the priest will drop the precious gifts from the spoon into your mouth. You then kiss the chalice, move away, and make the sign of the cross. Then proceed back to your seat.

(We have chairs, not pews.)
 
In the Malankara Rite, Holy Communion is given by intinction of a small levened Host slightly touched into the priest’s chalice. Holy Communion is only given by a priest.
In the Syro-Malabar it could be any way. Intincted by a priest
to the other extreme of in the hand given by a nun.
 
I am a memebr of the Syro malabar catholic church, an oriental catholic church in india. Our church was an essentially Eastern one with our way of worship and traditions having a strong blend of the Chaldean church and Indian rituals. Although due to the invasion of the Latin church, most of its rituals and traditions still have a lot of Latin influence.

Although the archdiocese of Chenganassery in Kerala is making attempts to revive the traditions, a lot has to be done.

Presently, almost all the Syro malabar churches distribute the Latin host which may or may not be dipped in wine. If the crowd is more, just the host is distributed like the Latin church. Not just priests, even nuns and deacons are permitted to distribute whenever deemed necessary to. Though in certain archdioceses, communion is given on toungue, others have an option of receiving it in hand too. In such a case, it is received in the left hand and then consumed using the right. Another practice which is common is that rather than the congregation proceeding in queue to receive the communion, people stay where they are with 2 alternate rows facing each other, and the priest / nun comes to them to distribute.

The above practices are widely adapted from the Latin rite practices prevailant in India. The archdiocese of Chenganassery has made attempts to:
  • Use Unleavened bread like other Eastern churces
  • Distribute both bread and wine
  • Priests and Deacons only are allowed to distribute communion
  • People approach the priest and not the other way round.
Let us hope that this oriental church, which still has huge latinizing agents within it, realises then importance of preserving and protecting our traditions and heritage.

Kindly get back to me [E-mail addresses removed by moderator. Please respond through this thread or through the forum’s private message system which allows users to receive e-mails or PMs.]
 
In the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church we give the Holy Mysteries from the chalice with a spoon.
 
I know what to do in Byzantine and Maronite Churches, but I am unsure about other Eastern Catholic Churches, for instance, Melkite.

The Melkite Church IS Byzantine, but generally direct intinction–without a spoon) is used.
 
Speaking for the Malankara Catholics, James is correct stating that we receive a host dipped in wine by the priest.

Our original tradition was to use leavened bread (like the Malankara Orthodox and the Jacobites) but for one reason or another we opted to use unleavened hosts, perhaps through influence from the Latins and Syro-Malabars in Kerala. I think we have been following the new rule ever since Archbishop Mar Ivanios reunion in the 1930s.
 
What about at the Liturgy of St. James, is this done differently?
Byzantine St. James calls for the Body and Blood to be distributed separately–and strictly speaking, for the Body to be received by the hand of the Communicant.

I will also say I’ve never seen it done this way in a parish.

If a priest celebrate alone, or without a deacon, usually Communion is given with the Spoon, as in St. John Chrysostom.
 
Cluny said:
What about at the Liturgy of St. James, is this done differently?
Byzantine St. James calls for the Body and Blood to be distributed separately–and strictly speaking, for the Body to be received by the hand of the Communicant.

I will also say I’ve never seen it done this way in a parish.

If a priest celebrate alone, or without a deacon, usually Communion is given with the Spoon, as in St. John Chrysostom.
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Thanks Cluny. I understand that the Melkite Church does it as you described during the Liturgy of St. James. Any Melkites out there?
 
Thanks Cluny. I understand that the Melkite Church does it as you described during the Liturgy of St. James. Any Melkites out there?
I attend the local Melkite Church, but the Liturgy of St. James has never been celebrated while I’ve been there.
 
amitandrews said:
The above practices are widely adapted from the Latin rite practices prevailant in India. The archdiocese of Chenganassery has made attempts to:
  • Use Unleavened bread like other Eastern churces
  • Distribute both bread and wine
  • Priests and Deacons only are allowed to distribute communion
  • People approach the priest and not the other way round.
Not to be too nit-picky, but I believe you are mistaken about the use of unleavened bread in Eastern churches. In the Byzantine rite (which includes the Ruthenians, Melkites, and Ukrainians among others), the bread is always leavened. It is the Latin rite which uses the unleavened (i.e., “wafer”) bread. The Orthodox and Coptic churches also use leavened bread. There are equally compelling reasons for both uses. Yeast or leaven can be representative of life. Our living and life-giving God is present in the Holy Eucharist.

But leaven can also be a metaphor for sin. That is one reason why Jews rid their homes of any leavened bread before Passover and eat only unleavened bread in the celebration of Passover. (Of course, there is also the obvious reason that at the original Passover, they were making haste and did not have time to let the bread rise.)

I don’t know if the Latin usage of using unleaven bread is from this analogy or something more mundane like economy and ease of storage which then become a Custom and then becomes “because we have always done thus.”

Marina
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Some Eastern traditions do use unleavened bread, and have since long before Latin influence. One example is the Armenian Church (both Orthodox and Catholics).

Using unleavened bread is an ancient practice, as is leavened. 🙂

Peace and God bless!
 
So both ways are ancient. Another example of how the difference between East and West is not a matter of right and wrong, simply different.
 
When did the practice of mingling the species together in a Chalice begin?

And what about communion of the sick? How do they get the Eucharist in the Eastern Tradition?🤷
 
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